Incident Overview
An airplane engaged in a spraying mission for the sovkhoz of Vidiskes crashed in the afternoon, resulting in serious injury to the captain and the deaths of all three passengers on board. The aircraft came to rest in a snow-covered field after a high-speed impact.
The Flight
The captain decided to take off without the copilot, but with two technicians and one engineer on board. After departure, the captain attempted to contact air traffic control in Vilnius, but the aircraft's altitude, between 150 and 200 meters, was insufficient for the radio communication to be established.
Accident Sequence
Shortly after the communication attempt, the airplane went out of control and struck the ground at high speed. The impact caused the aircraft to bounce, and it crashed a second time 98 meters further in a snow-covered field. The field was covered with snow at the time of the accident.
Injuries and Fatalities
The captain was seriously injured in the crash. The three passengers—two technicians and one engineer—were killed. No other injuries were reported.
Probable Cause
The official investigation found the probable cause to be a lack of discipline on the part of the captain, who decided to conduct a local flight without any copilot and with three unauthorized people on board. Maneuvers at low altitude in conditions without a second pilot over snowy terrain led to a collision with the ground.